Common House Geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) mating. Ventral view with
hemipenis inserted in the
cloaca. This
long-exposure photograph (2.5 s), taken in soft light (without
flash) through a window with a
macro lens and a
tripod, reveals many details, like the sexual organs and the adhesive
lamellae with
setae under the feet (allowing traction of the reptile on smooth surfaces). All male
squamates have a pair of intromittent organs called
hemipenes, inside a sheath in the inner portion of the tail (sometimes producing a bulge), usually held inverted within the body, and everted for reproduction via erectile tissue. Only one of these hemipenis is used during the reproductive intercourse. Reciprocally, females own two
hemiclitores. Single organ in the form of a canal, closed by the anal sphincter, the genital opening of female reptiles (the
cloaca) allows either the exit of
eggs, the evacuation of urine and feces, and reproduction. To adhere and cling to the surface of vertical smooth materials like glass, the geckos have
lamellae under their feet, with a lot of
setae, kind of bristle- or hair-like structures creating interactions with the support. The total of the
micro-forces of each microscopic
seta offers a very powerful
adhesion. Non-
captive, this couple through the glass is totally
undomesticated. The
geckos of this region of
Laos (island of Don Det,
Si Phan Don) usually appreciate houses, especially the illuminated transparent walls, where they can easily hunt insects attracted by light. Fearful by
nature, they tend to flee the proximity of humans, and their visible mating thus occurs in an exceptional way. The sexual activity is relatively quick, and frequently the female dodges the male which, not very gallantly, bites the neck to immobilize her. In these wild conditions, the visual observation by physical rapprochement is perilous, the installation of a tripod timed, the adjustment of the
manual focus delicate given the low light, and the camera settings complex because of the frequent jolts during the sexual act, which may lead to
motion blurs. If
fertilisation was successful, then the
oviparous female will spawn its eggs about four weeks later.